Electric printing-machine.



PATENTED MAY 24, 190.4.

D. G. SMIYTHI- ELECTRIC PRINTING MACHINE.

AP'PLIUATIOI FILED FEB. 16, 1903.

N0 IODEL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

f Nb. 760,813} PATENTED MAY 24, 1904. D. G. SMYTH,

ELECTRIC PRINTING MACHINE;

'nrmou'mp' nun ran. 16, 1003.

u 10 110mm. 2 snnms snnm 2.

ppm.

r I UNITED STAT S Patented May 24, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID e. ,SMYTH, F HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC PRlN'l'lNG-MACHI'NE.

, SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters PatentNo. 760,813, dated May 24,1904. I b i ti rebr'u'ar 16, 1903. Serial No.,143,483. momma.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, DAVID G. S YTH, a citi zen of the United States,residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented an Improvement in Electric Printing-Machines,of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to electric printingmachines, and particularly toprinting-tele graphs.

In carrying out my invention I employ a type-roll on which thecharacters are preferably arranged in spaced-apart rows of differ;

- able material. 'Means are also provided for rotating/the type-rolloneor more spaces ata time, means for shifting the type-roll laterallyone or more spaces at a time, means for the type-roll toits initialposition.

-' .The apparatus may be operated locally or from a distant station, andthe operation to-. gether with the detailed structureare hereinaftermore particularly set forth. .1

In the drawings, Figure l is a front eleva-- tion of the electricprinting-mach ine, illustrat ing my Invention. Fig. 2 1s anend elevationand partial section on line mm, Fig. l. Fig.

3 is a diagrammatic view of the type-roll.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the means ofshort-'circulting the strlker-magnet.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a local operating-circuit, andv Fig. 6is a. diagrammatic viewof the operating parts and circuits of a modifiedform of my invention.

a represents a base, to and upon which a.

frame a and standards d d are secured. Brackets 2 are supported by theframe a, and

a type-rollshaft 3, carrying the type-roll b, is

suitably 'journaled inthe brackets 2. The

type-roll shaft 3 is provided adjacent to the type-roll, with a seriesof circumferential grooves 4 and also with the ratchets 5 and 7,

between which and insulated from the same and the type-roll shaft is ametallic barrel 6. At one end of the type-roll shaft I may provide aspool 8 or other suitable means upon which a wire or string 10 may bewound, one endof the string being connected to a spring 11, by means ofwhich parts the type-roll shaft is normally held in its revolubleinitial position, and I also'employ a spring 9, which may act againstthe spool 8 to normally main- .tain the type-roll shaft in itslateralinitial position. The characters employed in printing arepreferably arranged on the surface of the type-roll in spaced-apart rowsof diflerent lengths, as indicated in Fig. 3, andthe number .of grooves4 in the type-roll shaft preferably corresponds with the number ofcharacters in the longest longitudinal row on the type-roll, and thenumber ofteeth in the ratchet 5 preferably corresponds with the numberof characters in the longest circumferential row on the type-roll. A

I employ a strikerb, secured to an arm 12, pivoted at 13 in the frame aand extending beyond its .pivotal point and carrying an armature 1 1 ofan electromagnet 0, by which the striker is operated. The opposite endof the striker-arm 12 carries a block 16, which is preferably .ofinsulating material, and to the block 16 is pivotally connected a finger17. lhe lower end of the finger 17 is provided with a projection bywhich, together with the spring 18-and stop 19, the finger is maintainedin its proper position. To insure the perfect operation of-the-strikerb, I may employ a spring 15, extending between the striker-arm 12 andthe frame a. bar) extends between the standard d and the frame a and isprovidedn with a pawl 20, adapted to engage the grooves t in thetyperollshaft. Toone endof the rocker-bar f a rocker-arm 21 is secured,and the other end of the rocker-bar f is provided eXteriorly of v theframe with arocker-arm 22. A pawl 23 is pivoted at 24: in the bracket 25and is adapted to engage the teeth of the ratchet .7, and the oppositeend of the pawl 23 is extended beyond the frame a in order to be engagedby the rocker-arm 22. Electromagnets e are also preferably supportedbythe frame a, and the armature 26 of the electromagnets A rockere ispreferably pivoted at 27 to a standard (1 supported by the base a. Thefree end of the armature 26 carries a pawl 28, adapted to engage theteeth of the ratchet 5, and a spring 29 may be employed to insure theproper operation of the pawl 28. A stop-screw 30, passing through an arm31 of the standard (Z, may be employed to adjust the movement of thearmature 26, and a spring 32, extending between the armature 26 and thearm 31, may be employed to normally hold the armature against thestop-screw 30. Electromagnets e are supported by the standard d, andtheir armature 33 is provided with an arm 35, the end of which carries apawl 36, adapted to engage the grooves 4 of the type-roll shaft. Thisarm 35, together with the armature 33, may be normally held away fromthe magnets by means of a spring 37, extending from the said arm to thebase a. The pawl 36 is held against an adjusting-screw 38 by a spring39, as shown in Fig. 1, in such a positionthat the end of the pawl 36just clears the grooved portion ten the type-wheel shaft when the arm 35is in its normal position.

In the operation of the instrument locally an impulseor impulses may besent through the electromagnets e by closing the circuit through aswitch it by causing the ends of the same to bear upon the contacts 39,(see Fig.

5,) it being apparent that foreach impulse the armature will beattracted and cause the type-roll shaft and type-roll to move revolublyone space. After the type-roll shaft has thus been moved revolubly untilthe character to be used is in the line directly under the striker theshaft may be moved laterally to bring the said character immediatelyunder the striker by an impulse or impulses sent through theelect'romagnets e by closing the circuit through the switch it andcontacts 38, causing the armature tobe attracted and the pawl 36 toengage one groove for each impulse and move the typeroll shaft andtyperoll laterally the desired number of spaces corresponding to thenumber of impulses sent through the magnet. The type-roll is now in theposition for printing, and by sending an impulse through theelectromagnets e the pawl 28 is caused to contact with the barrel 6,which, together with the pawl 28', brush g, and frame of the apparatus,the striker-magnet 0 normally in a closed circuit, is shortcircuited,permitting the striker Z) to descend and cause the imprint. It will beapparent that in the normal position the first circumferential row ofcharacters cannot bedirectly under the striker, and the shaft must bemoved laterally at least one space every time an imprint is made, asotherwise the pawl 28 (ould not be made to contact with the barrel 6 toshort-circuit the striker-magnet. Upon the return of the pawl 28 thenormal relationsof the striker-magnets are resumed and the strikerreturns to its original position. In the return movement of the strikera notch in thefinger 17 engages the rocker-arm 21, causing the pawl 20to be disengaged from a groove 4 and the rocker-arm 22 to bear upon andcause the pawl 23 to be disengaged from the ratchet 7 thereby releasingthe type-roll and its shaft, and when this relation maintains the spring9 and cord 10 and spring 11 will cause the type-roll and its shaft toreturn to its initial position in regard to both its lateral andrevoluble movements, after which the apparatus is ready to print thenext character.

To facilitate the speed with which the instrument may be operated, 1 mayemploy two sets of grooves 4:, one being of double the number of theother, and a pair of ratchets 5, one having double the number of teethof the other, in which instance it is also necessary to employ a secondset of electromagnets and e, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 6. Itwill be apparent that by employing the magnets 0 and c the type-roll maybe moved either laterally or revolubly twice as far with one impulseascould be done with one impulse sent through the magnets c or c.

To operate the apparatus from a distant station, I prefer to employ aseries of'magnets m, m, m and m and '21 '21 11 and at. The magnets m andm 112/ and m, w and w, and n and a are arranged with common yokes, m andm having an armature 49, m and m an armature 50, a and 91 an armature51', and a and 71 an armature 52. The magnets m and m are on a localcircuit which is normally closed, whereby the armatures 49 and 50 arenormally held against the magnet-cores against the spring 53, and themagnets a and a are also on a circuit normally closed, whereby theirarmatures 51 and 52 are held against the magnet-cores against the spring54. The circuit of magnets a and a is preferably of twice the capacityof the circuit of the magnets m and m. The magnets 9/2,, m, n, and a"are in circuit with the operating-switch, which may be employed locallyor at a distant station. It will now be apparent that by closing thecircuit through the contacts 40 by swinging the reversing-switch so asto bring its end to bear upon said contacts the current, which I maycall positive, will be sent through the circuit &4, passing through themagnets 02 of, m and m the magnets n and at, being on a circuit ofgreater capacity than the one transmitted through theoperating-line,will not be affected. The magnet m is so wound as tostrengthen the magnet m,- but the magnet m is so wound as to neutralizethe magnet m, whereby the armature 49 is released and contaet'made at45, closing the circuit through the electromagnet c, by which thetype-roll is moved revolubly one space. To move the type-roll laterallyone space ata time, the reversing-switch 2' is turned in the oppositedirec'tion to close the circuit 44'through the contacts 41, in whichinstance a negative current is sent through themagnets m and m themagnet m strengthening the magnet m, and the magnet m neutrallzlng themagnet m,

releasing-the armature 5'0, and closing the circuit to the magnetsthrough the contacts 46. In order to move the shaft revolubly two spacesat'a time, the reversing-switch. 2" may be moved to close the circuit 44through the contacts 42, when the current, double the ca' pacitypreviously employed,will be transmitted through the circuit through themagnets M, a m and m which current will have 110" influence on magnets1mm, m and 121 so far as the working of the apparatus is concerned, 1but will cause the magnet??? to strengthen-the circuit to the magnets eis closed through the contact 48 to obtain a lateral movement of twospaces in the type-roll shaft. By the arrangement of characters on-thetype-roll shaft as shown in Fig. .8 I may employ fifty characters andany one of them may be employed with a maximum of six impulses'as, forinstance, if 1t 1s desiredto employ the character indicated at wit wouldbe necessary to transmit four impulses through the magnet 6 onethroughthe magnet e, and one through the magnet e, or if it is desired toemploy the character indicated at m it would be necessary to send twoimpulses through the magnet 0 one through the magnet c, and threethrough c.

I do not limit myself to the precise operating apparatus shown anddescribed, as any suitable apparatus may be employed as well as anysuitable mechanism for feeding, shifting, and regulating the paper andtype-rib bon employed, these features forming no part of my presentinvention.

One end of the frame a is provided with a bar 55, extending beyondthesame to a distance approximately equal to the maximum longitudinaltravel of the type-roll shaft 3, and the type-roll shaft 3, adjacent tothe end thereof, is provided with a pin 56, extending through thesameand to an appreciable distance one side thereof, so as to bear onone side of the rod 55 when the-type-roll shaft is in one posi-' tionand to bear on the opposite side of the rod 55 when the type-roll is inits extreme opposite position. The pint56 limits the revoluble movementof the type-roll shaft 3 to a movement slightly less than a completerevolution and acts as a stop to confine the revo luble movement of thetype-roll shaftwithin these limits. 1

I claim as my invention l 1 1; In an electric printing-machine, thecombination with a base and frame, of a shaft, a type-roll, a strikeradapted to bear upon said type-rolLabattery, a magnet in local circuittherewith, a metallic barrel on and insulated from said shaft, a brushcontacting with said barrel, a pawl adaptedto contact withsaid barrel inpredetermined positions, and 'elec- 'trical connections from said brushand pawl tothe said battery-terminals, substantially as set forth. a

' 2. In an electric printing-machine, the combination-with a base andframe, of a shaft, a type-roll, astriker adaptedto bear upon thetype-roll, a-magn'etnormally energized by being in a local electriccircuit, a metallic barrel on and insulated from said shaft, a brushcontactin g with said barrel, a pawl adapted to con tact with saidbarrel, electrical connections from said pawl and brush to themagnet-battery and means for actuating the said pawlto cause the same tocontact with said barrel'and thereby sh'ort-circuitthe magnet to allowthe striker to operate, substantially as setforth.

3. In an electric printing-machine, the combination with a base andaframe, of ashaft, a metallic barrel on and insulated from said shaft, atype-roll, a ratchet, a magnet, an armature for the same, a pawl carriedby said armature and normally adapted to engage said ratchet, and afterthe shaft has been moved longitudinally to contact with thesaid barrelwhen the said armatu're-isactuated, means for energizing said magnettomove the shaft rev- ,olubly a predetermined number of spaces at" atime,astriker, means for actuating the same, means for maintaining the shaftin any of its revoluble positions, means for releasing the shaftsimultaneously with the return of the striker, and means for returningthe type-roll to its initial position after each actuation of thestriker, substantially as set forth.

4. In an electric printing-machine, the combination with a base and aframe, of a shaft with grooves therein, a' magnet, an armature for thesame, a pawl carried by said armature and adapted to engage saidgrooves, means for energizing said magnet to move the shaft laterallyapredetermined number of spaces-at atiine, astriker, means-for actuatingthe same, a metallic barrel on and insulated from said shaft, a brushcontacting with said barrel, a pawl adapted to contact with said barrelafter the same hasbeen shifted laterally, abat tery and electricalconnections from the said brush and pawl to said battery, and means inthe circuit of said battery for operating the said striker;

5. In an electric printing-machine, the com-- bination with a shaft, atype-roll thereon,

means for moving the type-roll revolublya predetermined number of spacesat a time, and means for moving the type-roll laterally IIO apredetermined number of spaces atia time,

=of:a striker, smeans :fortaetuating the -same, a :roekerban, a pawll onsaid rocker -bar and E zadaptedito engagesaidtype rollshaftgaroekerl,

arm on one end of said, rocker-bar, a ratchet on said type-roll shaft, asecond pawl engaging the'said ratchet and adapted to be actuated by-thesaid rocker-arm, means actuated by the movement of the said striker toturn the rocker-bar, disengaging the first aforesaid pa-Wlcausing thesaid rocker-arm to raise the said second pawl, disengaging the saidratchet, thereby releasing the type-roll shaft both revoluhly andlaterally, and means for returning the shaft to its initial positionaftereach actuation of the striker, substantially as set forth.

-6. In an electric printing-machine, the combination With a shaft, atype-roll thereon, means for moving the type-roll revolubly apredetermined numberv of spaces at a'time, and means for movingthetype-roll laterally a predetermined number of spaces at a time, of astriker, means for actuating the same, a rocker-bar, a pawl on saidrocker-bar and adapted to engage said type-roll shaft, a rockerarm onone end-of said rocker-bar, a ratchet on said type-roll shaft, a secondpawl engaging the ratchet and adapted to be actuated by the saidrocker-arm, a second rocker-arm on theopposite-end of the rocker-bar, afinger actuated by the said striker and adapted to contact with the lastaforesaid rocker-arm to actuate the rocker-bar to operate the said partsconnected therew itlntorel easetheityl peiroll shaft, -and means foraeturningthe (typeroll shaft \to :its :initial ,position aftereachactuation of :the :striker, substantially as :set 'forth.

7. In an electric printing-machine, the combination with a shaft, atype-roll thereon, means for moving the type-roll revolubly apredetermined number of spaces at a time and means for moving thetype-roll laterally a predetermined number of spaces at a time, of astriker, means for actuating the same, a rocker-bar, a pawl on saidrocker-bar and adapted to engage said type -|roll shaft, a rocker-arm onone end'of said rocker bar, a ratchet on said type-roll shaft, a secondpawl engaging the said ratchet and adapted to be actuated by the saidrocker-arm, a second rocker-arm on the opposite end of the rockerbar, afinger actuated by the said striker and adapted to contact with the lastaforesaid rocker-arm to actuate the rocker-bar t0 operate the said partsconnected therewith to release the typeroll shaft, a spring, a spool, a:string, and helical spring for returning the type-roll shaft to itsinitial position after each actuation of the striker, substantially asset forth.

Signed by me this 29th day ofJanuary, 1903.

DAVID Gr. SMYTH Witnesses:

CHARLES A. SAFFoRD, HERBERT S. BULLARD.

